Dinh Bac reports good news, Vietnam U23 team receives instructions to win against China in 90 minutes; Man Utd close in on the top 4.

Coach Kim Sang Sik is completely reassured about Dinh Bac's health condition.

Coach Kim Sang Sik is completely reassured about Dinh Bac's health condition, and he and the Vietnam U23 team are ready to defeat China U23 within 90 minutes in the semi-final of the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Championship.

On the afternoon of January 18th,The Vietnam U22 team continued their training in preparation for the semi-final match against China U23 at 10:30 PM on January 20th. This was a very important training session, as coach Kim Sang Sik and his team devised a strategy to counter coach Antonio Puche's squad.

Good news for coach Kim Sang Sik. Striker Dinh Bac is now able to train normally with his teammates. Previously, the number 7 of the Vietnam U23 team revealed that he couldn't pass the ball with his right foot due to a groin muscle injury.

Coach Kim outlined the requirements for his players during the training session on January 18th. The Vietnam U23 team wants to defeat their opponent within the 90 minutes of regular time, so they must create significant and continuous pressure. This requires the young players to be well-prepared tactically and, especially, physically.

It's not out of the question that the Vietnam U23 team will launch an early offensive against their opponent, similar to their opening match against Jordan U23. The Chinese U23 defense is well-organized, but the attack of Coach Kim Sang Sik's team also has individuals who can make a difference.

Senegal won the African Cup of Nations after a crazy final match.

In the early hours of January 19th, Senegal became the CAN 2026 champion after a 1-0 victory over Morocco.

The African Cup of Nations final was a tense affair. The drama reached its peak from the 90th minute onwards.

In the 90+3 minute of added time, Abdoulaye Seck (Senegal) put the ball into the net, but the goal was disallowed by referee Jean-Jacques Gambo Ndala. Just 5 minutes later, referee Ndala awarded Morocco a penalty.

Dissatisfied with the referee's decision, Senegal's head coach, Pape Bouna Thiaw, ordered his players to go to the dressing room, causing a nearly 20-minute interruption to the final match.

After much persuasion from the organizers, Senegal finally agreed to return to the field, with a penalty awarded in the 90+24th minute. Brahim Diaz argued with En Nesyri over taking the penalty, resulting in a missed Panenka, causing Morocco to miss a golden opportunity to decide the final.

After a 0-0 draw in regular time, the two teams went into extra time. In the 94th minute, Senegal scored the winning goal thanks to a moment of brilliance from Pape Gueye.

China's U23 team employs a "concrete" defense, sparking heated debate among experts.

Huang Jianxiang is one of the most influential and outspoken critics. According to him, the Chinese U23 team's frequent choice of playing deep, defensive football reflects a conservative tactical mindset and a lack of confidence in their ability to control the game.

He argued that, although the team wasn't completely outplayed at times, they clearly showed weaknesses in attacking organization, ball control in tight spaces, and composure when under constant pressure from the opponent.

"Winning a match doesn't mean you're playing right, and it certainly doesn't mean you're heading in the right direction," he remarked.

According to Huang, this is a transitional period; youth leagues lack genuine competition, and young players have little exposure to high-paced, high-pressure environments. As a result, many players prematurely develop limited skills and tactical thinking, making it difficult for them to adapt to the increasingly demanding requirements of modern football.

Latest Premier League 2025-2026 standings: Man Utd close behind the top 4

As of the end of round 21, Arsenal are leading the 2025-2026 Premier League table with 48 points. Man City and Aston Villa are chasing them. Liverpool, Man Utd, and Chelsea are competing for fourth place.

The gap between 7th and 14th place is only 3 points. Erling Haaland (Man City) tops the scoring charts with 19 goals. Following him are Igor Thiago (Brentford) with 14 goals and Antoine Semenyo (Man City) with 9 goals.

In Round 22, MU defeated Man City 2-0 thanks to goals from Mbeumo and Dorgu. All four top teams failed to win. The bottom three teams remained undefeated, keeping their hopes of avoiding relegation alive.